Rangers to collect toys for children from low-income families

The Texas Rangers will be collecting toys for the Cowboy Santas Toy Drive, which provides toys to children of low-income Tarrant County families.

Unwrapped toys or books will be collected from Friday through Dec. 17 at the Texas Rangers Grand Slam Gift Shop at Rangers Ballpark, Rangers Fort Worth Team Shop at 316 Main St., or the Rangers Dallas Team Shop at 2222 McKinney Ave., Suite 140 during regular store hours.

Items may also be dropped off at all Fort Worth police and fire departments and at the Como Community Center Warehouse, 541 North Main St., Fort Worth.

The team will sponsor a toy drive from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 in the Vandergriff Plaza area of Rangers Ballpark, with players on hand to sign autographs.

Outfielder Craig Gentry and his wife, Jordan, are serving as honorary spokespersons for the program.

Outfielder acquired

The Rangers acquired outfielder Rafael Ortega on a waiver claim from the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. Ortega had one big-league stint with the Rockies late in the 2012 season, appearing in two games.

Ortega, 22, batted .228 with one home run, 10 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 42 games at Double A Tulsa last season. The left-handed batter is playing for LaGuaira in the Venezuelan League this winter and is teammates with Rangers infield prospect Luis Sardinas.

Ortega is known for his defense and was named the Rockies’ top defensive minor league outfielder by Baseball America prior to the 2013 season. By acquiring Ortega, the Rangers now have 39 players on their 40-man roster.